Youth
by lazywriter123
Summary: A strange yet mystic woman is kidnapping children from all over the world and keeping them in a world of imagination. She takes an interest in Spencer and turns him into a ten year old again. What will happen when Spencer is kidnapped as well.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Criminal Minds

Enjoy

California, San Francisco, 8:30pm:

A young boy named Sean, crawled into bed and his mother tucked him in for the night. "Mommy…can you turn on the nightlight?" She smiled and turned on the small teddy bear nightlight in the corner. "Honey, there is really nothing to be afraid of in the dark."

"I know mom but it's still scary." She smiled and gave him a good night kiss. "You're a brave boy, Sean. Go to sleep, we're all going to the park tomorrow for a family picnic." Sean smiled brightly as she left the room and turned off the main light.

He heard her footsteps fade as she walked down the hall and then shut the door to his mom's and dad's bedroom. She snuggled into his bed and closed his eyes. Just before he fell asleep he heard a soft yet frightening voice.

"Sleep…you won't have to fear the dark anymore…"

#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#

"Damn Reid, I swear you cheat at poker" said Morgan.

Spencer smirked slightly as he took the deck to reshuffle it for another game. "You guys can play again later, we have to review the report again" said Hotch.

The team was on the jet, heading for San Francisco. "Alright, so Sean Gardener has been reported missing this morning. He was taken from his bed in the middle of the night. No evidence or trace of Sean or the unsub" said JJ as she handed the others the case files. "Also this case matches about ten others that have been all around the country and other countries such as England and Germany have had a major increase in the number of missing children who were also kidnapped the same way. In total we must have at least sixty-seven missing children" said JJ.

The team was quiet for a moment, and then Prentiss spoke. "The kids are from completely different backgrounds. Different races, family situations, income, it's all random."

"The abductions started about two months ago and have continued at this rate since then" said Morgan.

"Alright, were still about three hours away. Lets rest up and we'll talk to the parents and investigate the house for any evidence of how the unsub got in" said Hotch.

#$$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$

Sean woke up in a large green meadow. The air smelled of flowers and it made Sean very drowsy. When he was finally able to open his eyes fully he noticed that there was a river near him. It was a chocolate river. Just before he scooped it up to drink it, a hand stopped him.

"If you drink that, you'll go back to sleep again and you might not be able to wake up again."

Sean looked up to see a girl that was about her age. Her eyes alight with fear and her clothes were stained and ripped. "Where are we" Sean asked.

"In a nightmare…that we can't escape from."

PLEASE REVIEW


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Criminal Minds

Enjoy

At the station, Spencer and Morgan were reading over the case files of the other missing children, while the others went to talk to Sean's parents and investigate the house.

"So Reid…do you have any theories?"

"Well…to be honest…it's just so odd that suddenly children are disappearing so quickly and without any trace. If this was a group, they would need more time and to be able to travel frequently. With a group there would have had to been mistakes or evidence behind. But this organization is beyond belief."

"Your doubting it's a group or an abduction ring?"

"Well…yeah. Think about it, why would an abduction ring target kids with a high social status? One of the missing children was even the son of a mayor. That would cause some serious and unwanted attention. A ring would abduct so no one would notice a thing, that's how many rings like ones that transport drugs or anything illegal would keep going for years. Attention is the last think they would want. Still it's really a theory and we can't doubt it's a ring. After all over sixty kids is a lot to handle so there must be more than one person. Plus the location of where the children are being held must be well guarded."

Morgan nodded and they went back to reading the files.

#$#$#$#$#$#$$$#$#$$#$##$$

Sean stared at the girl with terrified eyes. "I don't understand…why are we here? Where's my mom?" Sean had tears in his eyes.

"I've been here for a while…I think. This place is so strange, it's like a dream land or something. There are others here too."

"Others?"

"Yeah but there's something else strange about this place. Follow me."

She took Dean hand and they ran through the meadow and into a large forest made of candy. There were children playing and eating the candy. Some were asleep on the grass."

"Don't they realize what's going on" asked Sean.

"No…I tried to talk to them but they just keep playing and eating."

They kept running until they saw a giant ball of light. Around it were children who were asleep on white clouds. When Sean looked closer he noticed that their bodies were slowly fading away.

"What's happening to them" cried Sean.

"This started happening not long ago. We were all just sitting around when some of them fell asleep and couldn't be woken up. Then this…ball or whatever it is came out of nowhere and they started to fade away. There are almost gone now."

They stared as one of the children faded away completely into the ball of light.

#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$

"Damn we are getting nowhere with this" said Rossi. "How can we profile this person or people?"

Hotch shook his head in frustration. The rest of team sat around the table, looking at reports and files. Spencer sighed and got up to get some coffee. He noticed on the way, his stomach was grumbling.

"He guys", he said when he came back in. "Do you want to get some food while we work?"

They sighed but nodded. They got up and went to the SUVs to grab some Chinese takeout. But they didn't know they were being watched.

A woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes was watching them through some binoculars from the top of a building and she smiled.

"Well what have we here?" She focused on Spencer. "Aww that poor baby. His loneliness and despair practically radiates of him." She focused her mind and saw all of Spencer's memories. His absent father…his sick mother…the bullying and so much other abuse.

She smiled again, "Yet…he is old now. But…with the circumstances he had he never really had a childhood now did he? It would only be far for him to have a second chance."

With a wave of her hand she vanished as the team drove away to get some dinner.

PLEASE REVIEW


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Criminal Minds

Enjoy

The team came back to the station a half an hour later with their food. They spent the rest of the day talking to other parents who have missing children over the phone and looking for anyone who might have wanted to kidnap Sean or any of the other children. But they had nothing.

Tired and irritated, the team went back to their hotel to rest up. The police patrol of the area was doubled, just in case the unsub was still in the area.

That night, Spencer was asleep and tucked into bed for the night. A woman appeared next to his bed with a sweet smile on her face. With the wave of her hand, a small purple vial appeared in her palm. She opened it and she managed to pour it into Spencer's mouth without waking him.

Slowly Spencer shrunk and his sleepwear became huge on him. In only minutes, a sleeping nine-year old Spencer was sleeping in the bed. She smiled and was about to wave her hand when she heard the door opening. She gasped but managed to disappear before the door fully opened.

Morgan, who was sharing the room with Spencer, came in looking completely exhausted and quickly changed to go to sleep. In his half-asleep state, he failed to notice the smaller figure in Spencer's bed.

#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#

Spencer woke up and stretched until he felt his joints pop. He sighed and was about to get out of bed when he noticed that his hands seemed smaller. When he got out of bed, the side of the bed was half his height.

Spencer ran into the bathroom to look at the mirror but it was too high, so he ran to the large one that was on the other side of the room. When he looked at his reflection he was stunned. He looked like he did when he was nine. His long brown, yet shaggy, hair, think rimmed black glasses, and his small thin figure.

Finally Spencer screamed. Morgan shot out of the bed to see a nine-year-old boy screaming near Spencer bed. He rushed over, "What are you going here? Where are your parents?" He looked around the room and noticed Spencer was missing.

"I'm Spencer, please believe me Morgan. I don't know what's going on."

Morgan stared at the child dumbfounded but had his doubts.

"You freaked out in the elevator with me once. You called me pretty boy once. You…have a dog named Clooney."

Morgan was even more shocked, it had to be Spencer. He stared at him for a good while until a smirk appeared on his face.

"Now you look even more like a kid." Spencer pouted and Morgan laughed.

"We better tell the team about this" said Spencer.

PLEASE REVIEW


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Criminal Minds

Enjoy

At the office in the station, Hotch was stunned and wide eyed, Rossi fainted, JJ was speechless, Prentiss was confused, but Garcia (over the computer webcam) was squealing in delight.

"Ah Reid, your adorable. If I was there I would be pinching your cheeks like there was no tomorrow."

Spencer winced and held his cheeks, thankful that Garcia was nit in the room at that moment. "I don't understand how this could have happened. Someone or something must have come into my room last night."

"I already looked around the room for anything that could tell us what happened, but I found nothing" said Morgan.

"Do you think this would have something to do with the unsub" asked Garcia.

"Well the unsub is focused on children…but why would the unsub turn someone into a child" said Rossi.

"Wait a minute; I think were overlooking that fact that someone turned an adult into a child. How is that even possible, this is something beyond science and logic" yelled Prentiss.

There was silence and then Hotch spoke. "She is right; this whole case is beyond logic and reason."

"But how can were catch the man is the real challenge."

"Guys…I don't think the unsub is a man" said Spencer.

They looked at him, "Late night, while I was asleep, I heard a voice. It was defiantly a woman's voice. She was singing to me…it was a lullaby. I felt strange but then it stopped."

The team looked at each other and frowned.

#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#

The woman with blonde hair sat on the roof of the police station. She was smiling and with the wave of her hand she had a small glowing orb in her hands.

"Show me the land of dreams." The glowing stopped and she saw all the children sleeping or playing in the world she created just for them. "So happy are my little dreamers."

The images disappeared and she waved her hand again. Her human like body melted away to reveal her true form. She had butterfly wings and a sparkling purple and pink dress. She smiled and vanished into thin air. She had some more work to do.

#$#$#$$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#

Sean and the girl he met were hiding in a cave that sparkled pink and green. He learned that her name was Anna; she was taken weeks ago by some strange lady that sparkled in the moonlight.

"Who do you think it was" asked Sean.

Anna shook her head, "Who knows, she kind of looks like a fairy. You know from the story books."

Sean nodded, "Yeah she was weird not like any grown-up I've ever seen. Still, why did she take _us_?"

Anna shrugged, "I think she's crazy…but that's just me."

They sighed and wondered if they would ever get out if this strange world.

#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#

The woman appeared in a large tower that over looked the dream world. At the top of the tower was a small room full of spell books and potions. She got out one of the books and flipped through until she got to the page she was looking for.

"The forgetting spell. With this the victim will forget every person or people he or she had ever met. This spell can only be reversed if the person sees their own reflection…this is exactly what I need. Soon all of these children will forget their troubles and families and live here forever. That Spencer child will also finally be safe and happy. Now how do I get him here?"

She pondered for a moment, and then she ran to her shelf of potions and got out a large red one. "This potion when drunk will make the victim obey my ever command. It only lasts ten minutes but that's more than enough time."

She tucked away the potion in her belt and got out a piece of paper and a pen to write down what ingredients she would need for the forget incantation. She finished her list and vanished again.

PLEASE REVIEW


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own Criminal Minds

Enjoy

The team decided to keep Spencer in his hotel room with JJ watching him. They played chess for a while until Spencer got sleepy and decided to take a nap. JJ chuckled as she saw him snuggle into his bed and smile brightly.

JJ left the room to get a book from her room. She left the room quietly and made sure not to slam the door. Once the door was closed, she rushed over to her room which was at the end of the hall.

While Spencer slept, a glass of water appeared on the nightstand. Spencer opened his eyes and saw the water. He sat up and took a big gulp of the liquid and went back to sleep.

Suddenly Spencer shot out of bed against his will and got out of bed. He put on his shoes and walked out of the door.

JJ was just coming out of her room, when she saw Spencer walk down the hall and to the stairs. "Spencer what are you doing" she cried. But Spencer didn't respond he only walked to the stairs that led to the roof.

She ran after him but she could barely move her legs. No matter how hard she tried, she was frozen like a statue.

On the roof, Spencer walked towards the blonde woman and she embraced him gently. "Sweet little dreamer, you'll never suffer again."

They vanished into thin air.

#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$

Spencer found himself in a large forest; the trees were red, pink, green, and purple. He was scared at first but for some reason the fear faded away and he relaxed. He walked through the forest and soon found himself at the edge of a large river. At the other side he saw someone waving to him. Spencer looked around him to see if there were any bridges or boats

He saw a boat nearby and decided to sail across. Below him he saw fish of all shapes and colors. Some were as large as whales and some were as small as goldfish.

Once he hit the shore, he saw Sean and another girl waving to him. Spencer rushed over to greet them.

"Sean, I'm agent Reid. I'm glad to see your safe."

"You're an agent…you're like ten years old" said Anna.

"Well…actually I'm thirty but I was turned back into a child."

"Well…I guess if a there is a place like this, nothing can be normal here" said Sean.

"So…where is here exactly."

The two kids shrugged, "No clue, but some of the others have disappeared and more are right now in this ball of light. Me, Sean and a few others kids that got here not long ago are hiding from whatever is doing this. We can't eat or drink anything here. It makes people fall asleep and never wake up."

Spencer was stunned, "I guess a way out is out of the question." They nodded.

#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#

The woman appeared in her tower with a basket of ingredients. "Without their memories, they won't have a reason to hide any longer. Spencer could ruin everything if he still has his memories."

She put the ingredients in the large cauldron and stirred quickly.

"_Little dreamers remember no more, little dreamers forget everything from your families to your household chores."_

A large black fog appeared out of the cauldron and descended down the tower. It spread far and wide in only seconds.

Spencer. Sean and Anna saw the fog and ran as fast as they could. "Let's get back to the hideout. We might be safe there" shouted Anna.

But they weren't quick enough, the fog engulfed them.

As the fog slowly vanished, the three children stood still as if nothing even happened.

Spencer looked around, "Where am I?" Suddenly the blonde woman appeared out of nowhere. "Your home…but it's time to sleep."

Spencer looked up at the woman and smiled, "Sure…I am sleepy." Spencer's eyes closed and soon he was in a deep sleep. The woman smiled and saw a white cloud appear under him and lift him off the ground gently.

She could already see Spencer's body slowly fading away. The same goes for Sean and Anna, who were also floating and sleeping.

PLEASE REVIEW


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own Criminal Minds

Enjoy

Spencer was dreaming, he was in a garden sitting on a woman's lap. She gently stroked his hair and sang to him. Spencer never felt so content; he decided that he never wanted to wake up again.

Yet…something was telling him that this was all wrong…no matter how much he tried to push the thought aside, it kept nagging him. The woman's soft lullaby kept Spencer felling drowsy and unable to move much. It was like a trace.

#$#$#$$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#

"He just walked up to the roof and vanished" shouted Morgan. "Yeah I…was frozen…my body wouldn't move. When I was able to I ran to the roof but he was gone." JJ couldn't believe that Spencer was really gone and she was helpless when he needed her.

"This keeps getting weirder and weirder. This unsub…just can't be human" said Rossi. "Your right…but what can we do…how can we stop someone like this" said Prentiss.

Suddenly Garcia, who was listening in through the computer, had an idea. "Guys I know someone who can maybe help us. She is a friend of mine from college. She is total into supernatural stuff and even wrote a few books on the subject. Do you think we should ask for her help?"

Hotch sighed, did they have a choice? "Alright, call her up."

It took a couple of minutes until she answered the phone. "Hello."

"Katy, hi it's Penny."

"Well how are you? I haven't heard from you in a while."

"I'm great but I need your help."

"Oh what's up?"

"Hang on let me put you on the speaker so my friends can hear…alright. Have you seen the news recently about the child abductions?"

"Oh of course. Who hasn't heard about it, it's all over the news."

"Well I'm with a team of agents working on the case. The suspect has turned one of them back into a child and has kidnapped him."

"That's awful."

"Yes…we think that this person isn't…well a normal person at least. We need some of your knowledge to help us."

"You think this is a supernatural being…well from the way it sounds that's got to be the case. Alright…have any of you ever saw the being in person?"

"No… my friend JJ was frozen in place when my friend was taken. Is that…you know…the work of magic."

"…is JJ there with you?"

"Yes."

"JJ, are you still wearing the same clothing you were wearing when your friend was taken?"

"Yes…"

"Ok…look all over your clothing do you see something unusual on it…like dust."

JJ looked al over herself and found a bit of purple dust on the side of her jacket. "There is purple dust."

"Ah…now it makes sense. The dust, children missing and your friend's transformation. You guys got yourself a dream fairy."

"A what" said Rossi.

"Let me explain…according to ledged, fairies in general take objects and hide them from people. However dream fairies are much worse. They take humans and place them in a never-ending sleep. The more people they take, the powerful they become. Yet this one has taken so many in so little time. that has never happened before. So this fairy must be very dangerous."

"Ok well how do you stop a dream fairy" asked Garcia.

"Well dream fairies keep the ones they take to a secret location that can't be seen with mortal eyes. You will have to find and wake them. Sleep is what gives the fairy power, awaking the children will take away her power."

"Well how do we find a place we can't see" asked Hotch.

"You'll have to trick her into taking one of you to her world. Then you can't save your friend and everyone else."

"Alright…thank you" said Garcia.

"Anytime."

The call ended and the team looked at each other, finally Hotch spoke. "So who want to be the bait?"

#$#$#$#$#$#$$#$#$#$#$#$#$#

Spencer sat up to walk to the stream nearby in his dream. When he sat on the bank he looked down and saw his reflection. That's when his head started to hurt, memories flooded back and he woke from the dream. He sat up to fine himself on a white cloud. He jumped off and tried to run away.

Out of nowhere, vines came out of ground and tied around his hands and ankles. He struggled but the vines wouldn't budge. She saw Sean and Anna, "Help…wake up!" But they stayed asleep. "I'm in real trouble now" Spencer thought.

PLEASE REVIEW


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own Criminal Minds

Enjoy

"I've arranged to have a child, David Cunningham to act as bait. His parents were very hesitant at first but we'll have men watching from every corner. They want to help stop her. When we have her, we'll force her to tell us where the kids and Reid are" said Hotch.

The rest of the team nodded and prepared themselves for whatever they will have to face.

#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$$#$

Spencer continued to struggle against the vines, when he looked down he saw a sharp rock by his foot. With all the strength he could muster, he grabbed the stone and cut away at the vines. Slowly the vines retreated. Spencer tried to wake Sean and Anna but they still didn't move.

"I have to wake them up somehow" thought Spencer. Suddenly something in the distance caught Spencer's eye. It glimmered and shined brightly in the sun-lit sky.

A large, white Bell at the top of a glittering tower. Spencer had a feeling that the bell might be the key in saving the kids and himself as well.

$#$#$$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$$#

David was lying in bed, sweat dripping down his face. He was scared of this fairy or whatever it was.

Suddenly in a beam of light, the woman appeared at his bed side. That when the team and the police sprung into action.

They took large cable nets to restrain her and in the struggled, her belt of potions fell off and landed at Hotch's feet.

"GIVE THAT BACK" she shouted.

"Not until you let the children go and our friend too. Also turn him back into an adult."

"NEVER."

"Then I'll destroy this…" he said as he took a bottle and started to crush it.

"NO, GIVE IT BACK!"

"You know what you have to do to get it back."

The fairy thrashed about and the men had trouble containing her.

#$#$#$#$#$#$#$$###$#

Spencer ran as fast as he could up the tower, finally at the top he saw the large bell and a mallet next to it. He picked it up and hit the bell as hard as he could.

The sound was deafening it and with it the tower and everything around it was enveloped in white light.

All the children woke up and started to scream for their parents, they took were enveloped in light.

Meanwhile back with the fairy, she screamed in pain and slowly she began to fade. The team and police watched her dissipate into nothing.

On by one, each child was appeared in their bedrooms, parent were so relieved that their children were safe and sound.

However, the team couldn't fine Spencer…until they got a call from Diana Reid's doctor at the hospital.

"It seems that Spencer Reid appeared in Diana's room on a cot next to her bed. When Diana saw him she woke him up" said the doctor over the phone.

The team flew to Las Vegas to find Spencer being read to by his mom. He was an adult again.

"Spencer…what happened" asked Hotch.

"I'm not sure, I rung this bell in the…place where the fairy was keeping us. When I rung it we were set free."

"It makes since, dreams are her source of energy, the bell woke the children up thus her power and spells were gone as well" said Garcia.

"Well I'm just happy that now she's gone for good and the children are safe."

However, before they went home, Spencer stayed behind to spend a few days with his mom. He wanted to stay a "kid" for a little while longer.

PLEASE REVIEW- finally finished it…wow….


End file.
